The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-13
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOR AUGUST 81, 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
JESUS AND THE LAW.
The Law AND THE Prophets.
Matthew v. 17-26.l

LAW AND IHE hOfhh1os
JESUS had already been persecuted by thu
Jews, especially the Scribes and Pharl
sees, who sought to kill him on account o.
his works Of healing done on the Sabbath
ar d in the synagogues (see Luke vi. 7; Johr
v. 16). The general charge may have beer
made that the influence of his ministry was
subversive of the teaching of the Law, AND
the Prophets-the religion of Israel. He ex-
horted his disciples to entertain no such
thought of his mission. He came not to de-
stroy but to fulfill. Commonly the "Law
and the Prophets" apply to the Old Tesla
ment Scriptures comprising the Pentateuch
the five books of Moses-and the writings
of the prophets. In JESUS use Of the titles,
the Hebrew religion as formulated in the
Mosaic institutes and as conceived, inter-
preted and applied by the prophets, is most
frequently meant. This divinely revealed
religion was expressed in moral code, a sys-
tenn of symbolic ceremonials of worship and
form OF civil government. In the admin
istration of the kingdom of heaven to be e.
tablished by JESUS, the moral laws were to
have complete enforcement in their applica-
ton, not merely to outward conduct, but to
inward feeling and motive, the realization OF
all types and symbols should be attained, and
the principles and privileges recognized in
the Divine government of Israel would be
extended to the nations of the earth, till all
the kingdoms of the world became the king
dom of COP. So important and permanent
did JESUS esteem the obligations and require
ments of the Mosaic religion that he declared
with evident emphasis that heaven and earth
might sooner be dissolved than that even the
smallest demand of the Law given by Moses
and expounded by the prophets should be
unfulflled. The seeming least important
things contained therein, like the dot of an j,
or the cross of t (jot or title-small mark
in the writings, must all be accomplished.
"All the law and the prophets" JESUS sum-
married. and expressed in two command
ments: Love to COP and love to mankind.
This law of supreme and universal love he
sought to apply to the government of indi-
vidual action and character, and finally to
the administration of the government of ma
tions. Rank and position in the kingdom of
heaven were declared to be dependent upon
an acknowledgment of the binding force of
the whole law. Whoever should renounce
his obligation of obedience to the least re-
quirement of the law, and should teach that
others were under no obligation to obey,
would be esteemed least, or lowest; but Who
ever should faithfully obey and teach others
to obey, even in the smallest things, would
be esteemed highest and greatest. The pur-
pose of JESUS in his ministry was to separate
the Divine Law, as announced by its author
and interpreted by the prophets, from the
false teachings that were current, and to ap-
ply it absolutely and universally to the inner
as well as to the outer life of mankind.
His object was to purge the religion of Is
rael from all the corrupt admixture, and res
cue it from all the unfavorable circumstances
that had prevented its full application, and
so to make its true power felt, its true glory
seen, to make it answer its purpose and full
fill its true destiny in a word to realize it,
"The Bible for Young People,"